Making DVD with sources of multiple resolutions/speeds..How?

[Oni]

Hello, I'm very new here so I'm not sure if this has been answered before. But I am trying to make one DVD project using Ulead DVD Workshop 2, TMPGEnc Plus, and Virtual Dub. I want to know if it is possible to make a compilation of various videos that are originally encoded at different resolutions/speeds? And how would I go about such a task?

My first and main video of the DVD is orginally in avi format. 515MB at 781kb/s and 25FPS with a 320x240 resolution. 192kbps stereo audio

My other smaller files are all in MPEG-1 format already (and will need reencoding?). As GSpot doesn't read them, this is the data I can get from Winamp... I will emphasize the major differing properties:
1- Audio: 44100hz, 16bps, 2ch (224kbps)
Length: 0:50:18
Bitrate: 227kbps
Picture Size: 352 x 240
81.8MB
Frame rate: 29.97 frames/sec

2-Frame rate: 29.97 frames/sec
Video size: 360x240 (1150kbps)
Audio: 44100hz, 16bps, 2ch (128kbps)
Length: 0:03:35
Bitrate: 1299kbps
33.3MB

3-Picture Size: 320 x 240
65.8MB
Frame rate: 29.97 frames/sec
Audio: 48000hz, 16bps, 2ch (192kbps)
Length: 0:06:46
Bitrate: 194kbps

4-Video size: 320x240 (1180kbps)
Audio: 32000hz, 16bps, 2ch (96kbps)
Length: 0:02:05
Bitrate: 1301kbps
32.3MB
Frame rate: 30.00 frames/sec

5-Video size: 360x240 (1150kbps)
Audio: 44100hz, 16bps, 2ch (128kbps)
Length: 0:04:14
Bitrate: 1301kbps
39.4MB
Frame rate: 29.97 frames/sec

6-Video size: 352x240 (1150kbps)
Audio: 44100hz, 16bps, 2ch (224kbps)
Length: 0:03:14
Bitrate: 1397kbps
19.3MB
Frame rate: 29.97 frames/sec

7-Video size: 352x240 (1150kbps)
Audio: 44100hz, 16bps, 2ch (224kbps)
Length: 0:04:53
Bitrate: 1395kbps
48.7MB
Frame rate: 29.97 frames/sec

8-Video size: 360x240 (1150kbps)
Audio: 44100hz, 16bps, 2ch (128kbps)
Length: 0:04:16
Bitrate: 1300kbps
39.6MB
Frame rate: 29.97 frames/sec


How should I go about doing this 9 video project with the software I have and make it workable on a DVD player? I saw a tutorial that told me to encode the videos centered inside a larger (DVD standard) resolution box. But that's all the help I have seen...
If you need any more information (computer stats or anything else relevant) please ask. And if this question has been answered before, I would appreciate a link.

[bugster]

Specs for DVD compliant mpegs can be found Here .

In a nutshell, if your frame rate is 25fps, it is PAL, if it is 29.97fps or 23.97fps it is NTSC. You cannot use mpeg-1 at 23.97fps on DVD though you can use mpeg-2 23.97fps with 3:2 pulldown flags added. All audio must be sampled at 48Khz but can be either PCM (uncompressed), Ac3 or mp2.

The DVD standard does not allow for both PAL and NTSC material on one disk though some authoring programs will let you do this and some players will play it.

Be aware that if you change the resolution or audio compression type then the two titles must be in different title sets. Only a few consumer DVD authoring programs will let you do this.

If any of your video is not DVD standards compliant it will need to be re-encoded.

There are a number of ways of tricking authoring programs to accept non-standard mpegs, but then your player may well reject it.

Hope this helps

[thecoalman]

DVD Workshop would be your best bet for handling this. Drop the videos in the timeline. Do your menus etc. When you get to the burn menu look for "do not convert compliant video" and make sure it's checked. Any video that is DVD compliant will be left as is..... FYI you can also do this with 16:9 and 4:3. Hope for the best and take it from there......

[bugster]

DVD Workshop would be your best bet for handling this.

But this WILL re-encode some of the videos. For example, if you set the project up for PAL, the 29.97fps videos will be re-encoded to PAL format. This will work, but the chances are the converted videos will be jerky and even lower quality than they are already. You may be happy with the results, in which case that fine, just a warning.

[thecoalman]

When you get to the burn menu look for "do not convert compliant video" and make sure it's checked. Any video that is DVD compliant will be left as is.....

As bugster pointed out this excludes pal/ntsc issues. They have to be either pal or ntsc, can't have both, at least not with DVD Workshop.

[Oni]

Thank you for the responses so far. If there will be a conflict between PAL and NTSC, how do I find which video is PAL or not? As GSpot doesn't work... Furthermore, I can just add the .avi into the timeline? DVD Workshop will automatically convert it for me so I don't have to encode it to MPEG-2 in TMPGEnc?

I tried that last time, but upon saving my 5 hour+ project and going back to it the next day, I got this fun, project destroying, error which I hear is common:
Some files can't be found will cause project can't be opened.
An eternal error has occured. (Error code =%s)

Hopefully it won't happen this time. right? haha

[CaZeek]

The 25 FPS video is PAL, which I think you said was your main video. I have never converted via software methods, but since your video is originally from an AVI, I'm assuming it's not interlaced. This means you can use one of the guides for PAL to NTSC conversion on this site to convert the video without much quality loss. Keep in mind, I've never done this, but I've heard it works well as long as your source isn't interlaced.

Another possibility is creating multiple VTSes. I don't know for sure if you can use different framerates (ie PAL / NTSC) in two different VTSes, but I know you can use two resolutions. Maybe someone else knows more about this?

[bugster]

Another possibility is creating multiple VTSes. I don't know for sure if you can use different framerates (ie PAL / NTSC) in two different VTSes, but I know you can use two resolutions. Maybe someone else knows more about this?

Officially, the DVD standard does not allow mixing PAL & NTSC on one disk, even in different VTS's. SOme authoring apps will allow you to get away with this, as will certain tricks such as patching headers. As to wether or not it will play properly in your DVD player, there is only one way to find out